BT Sport "has boosted its European football line-up by securing the rights to broadcast World Cup champions Germany’s home friendly matches," according to David Kent of the London DAILY MAIL.
The coverage "excludes matches involving teams from the British Isles," but will commence with the re-run of the 2014 World Cup Final, "pitting Joachim Low’s side against Argentina" on
Sept. 3.
In addition, the broadcaster "has secured the rights to the DFB Cup, Germany’s prime domestic football cup competition, the equivalent of England’s FA Cup." The deals "build on BT Sport’s expanding European football line-up" which already includes Italy’s Serie A, France’s Ligue 1 and Germany’s Bundesliga (DAILY MAIL, 7/30).

Star Sports has "created quite a buzz" around the Pro Kabaddi League, according to INDIAN TELEVISION. The latest TAM data provided by the channel showed that the opening night "received 22 million TV viewers, on both Star Sports and Star Gold." This data, when extrapolated to the "All India Universe," according to standard industry conversions, show that more than 66 million Indians "have watched the game, claims the channel." The channel said, "This is 10 times higher than that witnessed in India during the opening match between Brazil and Croatia of the recently concluded FIFA World Cup."
On Twitter, Star said that "it was trending for nearly two days." Within 12 hours of the commencement of the League, PKL "had received nearly 140 million impressions on Twitter and a significant number on Facebook activity" (INDIAN TELEVISION, 7/31).

Steve Hooker "has quit his duties as commentator for host Commonwealth Games broadcaster Network Ten," after his athlete wife, middle-distance runner Ekaterina Kostetskaya, "was banned for drug use," according to the AAP. Ten presenter Matt White announced that Hooker was not "aware of the information prior to it being logged on the agency's website and that he would return to Melbourne to be with his Russian-born wife." Ten "were supportive of Hooker's decision to leave the Games early." Ten announced that former Canadian world record holder and Olympic Gold Medal winner Donovan Bailey "would join their commentary team for the remainder of the Games" (AAP, 7/31).

ManU's in-house TV station MUTV "was left red-faced" on Wednesday morning after "broadcasting the wrong names for the team" to face Inter in the clubs' preseason friendly clash.
The gaffe "showed a line-up graphic in which only two of the players -- Ashley Young and Danny Welbeck -- had the correct name next to their pictures" (London DAILY MIRROR, 7/30). ... The Northern Ireland Football League announced that it has signed a long-term contract with Trackchamp, a joint venture between bwin.party digital entertainment and Chyronhego, to be its official streaming and data partner.
In a deal that is the first of its kind in Northern Ireland, Trackchamp will collect performance data for every Danske Bank Premiership game from the start of next season (NIFL). ... Pan-European TV spots network Eurosport "has inked an exclusive live TV and digital rights deal for this year’s Tour of Poland."
The rights "are exclusive in all of Eurosport’s 70 international territories across Europe and Asia-Pacific, except Poland" (ISPORTCONNECT, 7/31).